The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-06-25

ldTklu MOSe, Sdlu Ic. 'COIIle lcltefS got to skylarkin' in this neighbor- hood onct, an one O 'em trod on a cob, fell an hurt hisse'f an' ever sense then l have thought it was dangers fur fellers to skylark. Andy" ad- dressing Horn, "yo're horse is dun shod an 1 reckon you mout as well go on home."
 Andy grinned, and, whistling camp meeting tune, mounted his horse and rode away; and Nose, remaining but few minutes longer, sullenly strode toward home. When he reached that place-a desolate log cabin with two tumble-down rooms, he opened the door with a violent shove and passed into the room which he used as sort of cobblershop. He sat down on bench, took up an old boot and had begun to examine it, when an old woman entered.
 "Mr. Spencer, don't you want to see the baby?" she asked.
 "Get outen here."
 "Miz Spencer lowed that you"
 "Get outen here, 1 tell you"
 "My conscience alive, man, won't you let person talk? want you to understand that you air orderin' yore betters around when you order me. Eli you wuz little blacker than you air, wy Pve seed the time could buy an sell you three times i'll day. You ought to be ashamed O yourself, you great big, lubberly, good fur -nuthim fINIr tT -nk nf hnk Nns tie baby, jest like she could hep bein' girl; an of I wuz in yore place I'd be afeerd the Lord would strike me down an it wouldn' be no mo than right, nuther. Tore wife wants to see you minit."
 "I don't want to see her nur you nuther. Git out"
 "Now, MT. Spencer, if you will be a fool, let me advise you not to be sich a hard headed one. Go on in thar mint, please. Eli you don't, Pll VOW an declar' that Pll trudge right off home an let you get somebody else to stay here."
 "Wall, then" exclaimed Spencer, throwing the boot aside and getting up, "ef nuthin' else will do I will go in, but I want it understood right now that I won't have nuthin' to do with that disapp'intin' critter."
 When he entered the room he found his wife weeping bitterly.
 "Mose," she said, "fur the Lawd's sake don't stay mad this 'crc way. l know you wanted boy but it couldn' be he'ped. Look at the po' little"
 He turned away, and slammed the door as he went out.
 CHAPTER II.
 With stubborn cruelty Nose had insisted upon naming the child "Dis- erp'intment," which was in time shortened to Diser. She was a re- markedly beautiful child, with long yellow hair and with eyes which looked up with charming inquisitive- ness. Until she was two years of age her father took not the slightest notice of her; and, once when he had frown- iDgly turned away from her out stretched arms, Mrs. Spencer said:
 "Mose how ken you do that?"
 Don't talk to me thater way, Sue. You know well enough that l don't want nothin' to do with her."
 Diser grew more beautiful as the years came. One day, when the child was about four years old, Mrs. Spencer, upon returning home from visit to a neighbor, saw her husband, with Diser on his back, trotting around the house.
 "What on earth has happened '" the delighted woman exclaimed. Nose, easing the child to the ground and then taking her into his arms, re- piled:
 q hil out like fool, Sue, but jest nachully had to come to taw. She's , the sweetest human l ever seed"
 "An' l ain't afeerd O him, mamma" !" the little girl cried. ssSee," putting her arms around his neck. "He ain't , mad at me any more, air you, papa?"
 "Mad at you, wy, ef a man wuz to ! say wuz mad at you I'd hit him then an thar"
 "'Cause I couldn't hep befn gal, could IF"
 "No, honey, an' am glad you air a gal. didn' think it wuz possible fur me to love anybody as much as do . you"
 "An' mamma too?n !, "Yes, an her too.s The poor, oyerworked woman seemed younger after this, and the songs which she sang at evening were of more cheerful tune. Everyone mo- , ticed the change in Noses character, , and neighbors who had, during many